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David Berman
|birth_place =Williamsburg, Virginia | death_date = | instrument = singing|Vocals, guitar | genre = Rock, indie rock | occupation = Singer-songwriter, poet, cartoonist | years_active = 1989(?)-present | label = Drag City, Domino | associated_acts = Silver Jews, Pavement, Ectoslavia, New Radiant Storm King | website = www.silverjews.net | notable_instruments = }} David Cloud Berman (born David Craig Berman; January 4, 1967 – August 7, 2019) was an American poet, cartoonist, and singer-songwriter best known for his work with indie-rock band the Silver Jews. Life Youth Berman was born January 4, 1967 in Williamsburg, Virginia. He attended high school at Greenhill School in Addison, Texas, before matriculating at the University of Virginia. While in Charlottesville, Virginia, Berman began writing and performing songs (often left on friends' voice message machines) with his loose band, Ectoslavia, primarily composed of UVA classmates Stephen Malkmus and Bob Nastanovich. Upon graduation from the University of Virginia, the trio moved to Hoboken, New Jersey, where they shared an apartment and adopted the moniker Silver Jews. Before moving to Hoboken, Malkmus had also founded another band, Pavement, with his childhood friend Scott Kannberg. As Pavement's acclaim and visibility grew, the notion arose that the Silver Jews were a "Pavement side-project," despite the fact that Berman's writing, singing, and guitar playing led the band's music, and, of course, the Silver Jews preceded Pavement. On the band's early recordings, Berman even tried to protect the Jews' individuality by listing Malkmus and Nastanovich under aliases, but it backfired when people learned who "Hazel Figurine" and "Bobby N." really were. Not long after the success of Pavement's debut album, Slanted and Enchanted (which was named after a cartoon Berman had created), Dan Koretsky, founder of the Chicago-based indie label Drag City, met Berman at a Pavement show. When he heard of the Jews' tapes, Koretsky offered to release them. On their first single and EP for the label, 1992's "Dime Map of the Reef" and 1993's The Arizona Record, respectively, the band held to their ultra lo-fi aesthetic and recorded the majority of both on a Walkman. After the release of the EPs, Berman entered a graduate-level writing program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and met like-minded members of local bands—the indie-rock/alt-country hybrid Scud Mountain Boys and New Radiant Storm King. Writing at the university left Berman time for songwriting; soon, he had enough material for an album, which became 1994's Starlite Walker. The album reunited Berman with Malkmus and Nastanovich (this time listed by their real names in the credits) in the 24-track Easley Recording studios for a more focused, polished take on the Silver Jews' literate, lyrical, country and noise-inspired rock. 1996-2008 Along with writing and working with other performers like the War Comet, Berman recorded the Jews' second album, The Natural Bridge, in the summer of 1996 with members of New Radiant Storm King and Drag City artist/producer Rian Murphy. Originally, Berman planned to record this album with Malkmus, Nastanovich, and the Scud Mountain Boys, but both sessions were scrapped after a few days. The Natural Bridge continued to streamline the Silver Jews' sound and let Berman's rich, abstract lyrics and reflective vocals take center stage. Malkmus returned for 1998's American Water, and his guitar and vocal interplay with Berman places it among the Silver Jews' strongest efforts. In 1999, Berman's first collection of poetry, Actual Air, was published by Open City Books. The Silver Jews returned in 2001 with Bright Flight and the EP Tennessee, which also features Berman's wife Cassie on a few tracks. In early 2003, The Houston, Texas-based theater group Infernal Bridegroom Productions staged a theatrical interpretation of Actual Air, which featured selected poems from Berman's book, as well as three live covers of Silver Jews songs, with Berman's blessing. Following the release of Tennessee, Berman struggled through an intense period of depression and substance abuse. In 2003, he attempted suicide by using crack-cocaine, alcohol, and the prescription drug Xanax.Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles article: "Silver Jews Singer Polishes Up Dirty Past" Berman would later credit this time as "an incredible blessing", because he became more deeply involved with Judaism. In 2005, Berman reunited the Silver Jews—with a lineup including his wife, Malkmus, Nastanovich, Will Oldham, and Azita Youseffi among many others—for a new album. Recorded in Nashville, Tanglewood Numbers narrowly avoided being destroyed in the electrical fire that engulfed Memphis' historic Easley-McCain studio, where it was supposed to be mastered. Drag City released the album that fall. Berman surprised fans in 2005 by announcing the group's first ever tour. Though he is a reluctant live performer as a musician, Berman occasionally does readings of his short stories and poems in both the US and the UK. His accomplished and trademark sardonic lyrics have been compared by some to Bob Dylan, and his poetry is known to examine overlooked aspects of everyday life as well as chance and often hilarious juxtapositions. Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea, the Silver Jews 6th studio album, was released 17 June 2008. It was recorded at Marble Valley of Lexington, Virginia and Lake Fever Productions of Nashville, Tennessee. It was followed by an American tour. Berman lived in Nashville, Tennessee with his wife Cassie. Retirement from music On January 22, 2009, Berman announced via the official Drag City message board that he would be retiring from making music (along with the Silver Jews moniker), and would play a final show at Cumberland Caverns in McMinnville, Tennessee on January 31, 2009.Pitchfork Media article: "Silver Jews David Berman calls it quits". The caverns are located 333 feet undeground, and only 300 general admission tickets were made available. The concert aired on Nashville's famed WSM AM radio station, and was also available via a streaming format on their website.WSM AM's official website. Berman stated that he would play his 15 favorite Silver Jews songs. He also wrote that his intentions are to move to "screenwriting or muckraking." He closed the entry by saying, "I always said we would stop before we got bad. If I continue to record I might accidentally write the answer song to 'Shiny Happy People'."Drag City Messageboard posts by David Berman On the same day, he made another post on the message board revealing that he is the son of lobbyist Richard Berman. The two have been estranged since about 2006, when David demanded that his father halt his work supporting guns, alcohol, union-busting and other industries of the like, or else he would sever their relationship. Richard refused, and the two have not spoken since. In the message board entry, he called his father "evil," a "human molestor," an "exploiter," a "scoundrel," and "a world historical motherfucking son of a bitch." Berman ended his post by saying, "I am the son of a demon come to make good the damage." In January 2011, Berman launched his blog "Menthol Mountains." Personal life and death At the time of his death, Berman lived in Chicago, Illinois. He was separated from his wife Cassie Berman, but the two still owned a house together in Nashville, Tennessee and remained very close and supportive of each other. Berman described their separation as a slow process with "no inciting incident." Berman briefly dealt with substance abuse during the early 2000s, using crack, heroin, and methamphetamine at that time. Poetry Foundation article: "Actual Air in the Purple Mountains: An Interview With David Berman." He unintentionally overdosed twice,Da Capo Best Music Writing 2006: "Dying in the Al Gore Suite" by Nick Weidenfeld, pp. 109–114." including one occasion in Manhattan on an unspecified drug following the album release party for Bright Flight.Slate article: "The Greatest Songwriter You’ve Never Heard of Is Back." On November 19, 2003, Berman attempted suicide in Nashville by attempting to consume 300 Xanax pills combined with crack cocaine. When he was discovered by his wife Cassie, he refused hospitalization, and instead demanded to be brought to the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel (the location where Vice President Al Gore had stayed for two weeks during the 2000 election recounts). At the front desk, Berman demanded (and received) the "Al Gore suite"; while riding the elevator up to the room, told the bellhop, "I want to die where the presidency died!" He was eventually taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Around a year later, he checked in for drug rehab at the Hazelden Foundation. The episode was later detailed at length by Nick Weidenfeld in an article for Fader titled "Dying in the Al Gore Suite". When asked about his sobriety during a 2019 interview, Berman stated, "I was only 100% sober for Tanglewood Numbers. Touring made me a daily pot smoker. It was the only way I could cordon myself off from the fuss, and endure the boredom. I was a daily smoker from 2006–09." However, he never again used hard drugs following his recovery. He also noted that "Alcohol on its own doesn’t appeal to me much." After the death of his friend Dave Cloud in 2015, Berman changed his middle name from Craig to Cloud in his honor. In 2019, Berman revealed he had amassed over $100,000 of debt in credit card debt and loans, which he said was always over his head and "draining to worry about". However, Drag City disavowed any connections made between Berman's suicide and his debt.https://www.dragcity.com/news/2019-08-12-call-me-from-albemarle Berman died by suicide on August 7, 2019, in Brooklyn, New York. Publications * Future Imperfect (chapbook). Pittsford, NY: State Street Press, 1982.Future Imperfect, Google Books. Web, May 5, 2014. * Slippage. Edgewood, KY: Robert L. Barth, 1996. * Actual Air: Poems. New York: Open City Books, 1999; New York: Grove / London: Hi Marketing, 2000. * Greatest Hits, 1965-2002. Johnstown, OH: Pudding House Publications, 2003. * The Portable February. Chicago : Drag City, 2009. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:David Berman 1967, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, May 3, 2014. Audio / video With the Silver Jews ;Full-Lengths : * Starlite Walker (1994) LP/CD * The Natural Bridge (1996) LP/CD * American Water (1998) LP/CD * Bright Flight (2001) LP/CD * Tanglewood Numbers (LP/CD). Chicago: Drag City, 2005. * Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea (2008) LP/CD ;Singles : * "Dime Map of the Reef" (1992) 7" * "Silver Jews and Nico" (1993) 7" * "Send in the Clouds" (1998) CD/7" * "Hot as Hell - Live 1993" (1999) 7" ;EPs : * The Arizona Record (1993) CD/12" * Tennessee (2001) CD/12" See also * List of U.S. poets *List of English-language songwriters References External links ;Poems *"Snow" at Poetry 180 *"Confederate States of America, Department of State, Montgomery.....18'b" * David Berman at PoemHunter (14 poems). ;Audio / video * The Corduroy Suit - fansite featuring interviews, images, a selection of Berman's writing and audio recordings of his poetry readings. * David Berman at YouTube ;About * David Berman: Poems, songs, and psychedelic soap operas at the Academy of American Poets. * SilverJews.net - Official website * Menthol Mountains, Berman's weblog * 2005 Pitchfork Media interview with David Berman * 2008 Pitchfork Media interview with David Berman * 2008 Interview by mail with David Berman on losanjealous.com * May 2009 David Berman post-Joos interview on MonsterFresh.com Category:1967 births Category:American poets Category:American singer-songwriters Category:Living people Category:Jewish American musicians Category:American male singers Category:People from Charlottesville, Virginia Category:Drag City artists Category:People from Dallas County, Texas Category:20th-century poets Category:21st-century poets Category:American Jews Category:English-language poets Category:Jewish American writers Category:Jewish poets Category:Poets Category:Songwriters